The present disclosure relates generally to systems involving igniting fuel, and more particularly to systems involving igniting fuel with light from a fiber optic system.
Engines that use combustible fuel such as, for example, gas turbine engines and internal combustion engines include combustion areas such as, for example, combustors or cylinder and piston assemblies that facilitate the conversion of energy from combustion into mechanical energy. Fuel nozzles are used to introduce atomized fuel into the combustion areas. The atomized fuel is ignited by an igniter. Igniters may include, for example, electrical igniters that create a spark proximate to the atomized fuel, heating elements that introduce heat to the atomized fuel, and igniters that introduce a flame in the combustion area.
For turbine applications, igniters are typically based on electrical discharge. Electrical discharge igniters need much more space inside the combustion chamber. The electrodes cannot be placed inside the cone of the fuel spray since the droplets would lead to strong deposits on the electrodes and thus reduce the durability of the igniter. High spark energies, which are needed for successful ignition, also significantly reduce the lifetime of the igniter.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved igniters where space is limited such as may be the case with turbine applications.